The environmental advocacy group Oceana has urged the federal courts to force the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to plug what the organization contends are gaping holes in the groundfish management regimen that includes the "catch shares" format now being used in New England.
But, unlike legal challenges filed by the cities of Gloucester, New Bedford and other fishing interests, Oceana is charging the NOAA system is too lax, allowing bycatch to go unrecorded and overfishing unpenalized.
In a complaint filed with the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., Oceana alleges that NOAA has failed to meet the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act's 2006 reauthorization which, for the first time, required hard catch limits and "accountability measures" when limits are exceeded.
Read the complete story from The Gloucester Times.